


Secret Re(Hate)tionship

by Meatball42



Series: Rare Pairs [97]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arguing, Belligerent Sexual Tension, Competition, Enemies to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Happy Ending, Hate to Love, Honeymoon, M/M, Marriage Proposal, No Friendship, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Prank Wars, Publicity, Sam Wilson is So Done, Social Media, Surprise Kissing, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-07-28 22:09:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20071390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meatball42/pseuds/Meatball42
Summary: “I’m not going to pretend to date the guy just so the American public will forget that he’s the most prolific assassin of the twentieth century!”“Sam,” Steve chastised him. “You know he didn’t have a choice in doing those things—”And yeah, Sam had heard this speech a few dozen times. Honestly, the murderbot thing had nothing to do with him and Barnes not getting along. He just plain didn’t like the dude.But he did care about Steve.





	Secret Re(Hate)tionship

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Just Married Community](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Just+Married+Community).

> This story strayed from the intended recipient's likes too much for me to feel confident gifting it. I hope the community enjoys it!
> 
> *Edit 8/28* Now for enhanced enjoyment! The gifted [sophinisba](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophinisba/pseuds/sophinisba) has created [a lovely podfic for this story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20394682) with excellent comic timing, which makes it approximately 2.4x funner!

The first time Sam and Barnes clashed was way back in Germany, when Barnes waited for Steve to leave the car before asking Sam to move his seat up.

What, was he trying to seem tough or something? They’d already been driving for a half hour. Sam wasn’t in the mood to reward that kind of behavior.

“No.”

Barnes shifted to the side so he could watch Steve make out with a hot blonde and, presumably, have some more leg room.

When Steve got back in the car, neither of them said anything. Steve didn’t notice.

Sam would have let it go. Everyone has an off day, right? And after everything that went down after that—the fight at the airport, the Raft, the break-out, properly meeting the Prince of Wakanda, and then a few weeks of downtime while Barnes was on ice and Sam got to pet some battle rhinos—he would have forgotten it entirely.

But when Barnes woke up, brain scrubbed clean of Hydra, he went right back at it.

Their enmity started for real while they were still in Wakanda. The second team of Avengers had established Monday Movie Nights at the Avengers compound, and Steve wanted to carry on the tradition. While Steve was up getting snacks and Clint and Scott were talking beer, Sam was chatting about the team tradition with Natasha.

“The worst part of all this was not finishing the Fast and the Furious," he joked. "Take my wings? Fine. Kick me outta my country? Fine. But I will have my explosions and fast cars.”

She shook her head at him, but she was laughing on the inside, he could tell. Wanda, reading a book on the other couch, rolled her eyes.

Sam caught Barnes’ narrow-eyed look just before Steve sat down between them with a big bowl of popcorn.

“Okay, what are we watching?” Steve asked the group.

Before Sam could remind Steve that they were already in the middle of a franchise, Barnes spoke up.

“Any chance we could watch something quiet?”

Sam’s jaw dropped as Barnes literally gave Steve teary wounded eyes and tucked in his shoulders like he was cold. It was not subtle.

Steve, being Steve, caved like a wet paper bag. “Of course we can. Any ideas?” he asked the group.

Behind Steve's back, Barnes sent Sam a smug sneer.

Natasha was using her professional blank expression to cover up her amusement, but Wanda had a hand over her mouth and was visibly trying not to laugh.

Sam’s cheeks warmed in rage. The competitiveness that had gotten him through boot camp (and into trouble a dozen times or more) reared its ugly head. The anger made it easy to fake kind concern.

“How about something that might be familiar?” he suggested. “You two get to see Pinocchio?”

As Sam knew, any mention of Disney animation immediately had Steve’s vote. And Steve’s obvious enthusiasm meant that Barnes couldn’t back out now without being the asshole in the situation.

Sam didn’t get to see his car chases, but he did force Barnes to fake smiles for a weird-ass movie about the evils of smoking, getting swallowed by a whale, and a wooden toy becoming a Real Boy.

So the movie was a draw. That made the score Wilson: 1 (he was counting the car thing in retrospect), Barnes: 0

~ ~ * ~ ~

It kept going from there. 

Sam ‘forgot’ to serve Barnes on his turn to make dinner. Barnes over-salted Sam’s stew when his turn came around. That one back-fired, because Steve insisted on eating it himself so it wouldn’t go to waste, swearing to Barnes that it wasn’t that bad. Sam took pleasure in Barnes’ guilty looks, and wagged a finger at him behind Steve’s back.

Barnes made a point to always make eye contact with Sam and chew thoroughly whenever he ate fowl, so Sam picked up a habit of loudly sucking on freezer-pops in Barnes’ line of sight.

Sam ‘accidentally’ walked away with Barnes’ towel when they were showering off a morning’s spar with some Dora Milaje. Barnes hid all of Sam’s shirts so he had to wear Steve’s for a few days, and they were all loose in the shoulders and tight around the waist. Very unflattering, especially since Sam was pretty sure that one of the Dora had been giving him eyes.

Natasha and Clint thought it was hilarious. T’Challa and the other Wakandans who picked up on the drama clearly thought they were insane, but ignored it. Scott didn’t seem to notice anything unusual at all.

But since they only let their true natures shine through when Steve wasn’t in ear-shot, he was under the impression that they were actually great friends. One day, he threw an arm over each of their shoulders as they headed back to their quarters from a hike in the mountains.

“After everything that’s happened, I didn’t think there was any chance things could turn like this. But knowing that both of my best friends are safe, and that you get along so well… I’m actually happy. Really happy. Maybe for the first time since I woke up in the 21st century. So I wanted to say thanks, to both of you.”

He looked so earnest and joyful that Sam couldn’t bring himself to burst the bubble. He wrapped an arm around Steve’s waist and ignored the cool press of Barnes’ metal arm copying him.

Maybe they should’ve called it off then. But after Steve headed to his room to change, when Sam was looking into Barnes’ superior blue gaze, he knew that the two of them would hate each other forever.

~ ~ * ~ ~

The semi-secret battling continued through their stay in Wakanda, through the UN mediation, and through the Avengers’ reconciliation and return to the US.

Sam was an active Avenger again. Barnes was a guest on a _ very _short rope.

And Stark didn’t even really _ know _ the guy, Sam thought uncharitably. He’d regret letting Barnes stay with the Avengers once he found out what a colossal prick he was.

He might have questioned his outlook briefly when he realized he was weighing a year of verbal sniping and mean-spirited pranks against, you know, killing someone’s parents, but…

In his defense, Barnes was really, _ really _ annoying.

Sam dove back into being an Avenger. Wakanda was amazing, but he’d missed flying, missed being in the field, making a difference. Things had changed, back at HQ, but most of the changes were things Sam could get behind. 

Part of the Accords included a mandatory training schedule for new recruits and continuing training for current Avengers. Sam worked with Rhodes and some consultants to create a training plan, and then he and Steve and Natasha began to implement it. The Avengers had gained nearly a dozen prospective recruits since the fight in Germany. They had their work cut out for them.

Barnes, on the other hand, still had a lot of red tape to work through before he was allowed so much as a pass onto the classified floors. Sam didn’t see nearly as much of him anymore.

He didn’t _ miss _ Barnes, Sam would say to himself, when a dinner with the team was feeling a little stale. He was a competitive guy, he liked rising to a challenge. That was all it was. And maybe Barnes and his constant needling was more exciting than Rhodes’ easy jokes, or Wanda’s earnest friendliness. But the kind of dynamic he and Barnes had wasn’t healthy. Sam knew it was better for them to keep some distance. 

So when Steve came to him with a half-baked plan to get the public on Bucky’s side, or make him seem less threatening or whatever, Sam rejected it without even considering it.

“I’m not going to pretend to date the guy just so the American public will forget that he’s the most prolific assassin of the twentieth century!”

“Sam,” Steve chastised him, in that wounded voice, flashing those sad eyes (_dammit,_ that must be where Barnes got it from). “You know he didn’t have a choice in doing those things—”

And yeah, Sam had heard this speech a few dozen times. Honestly, the murderbot thing had nothing to do with him and Barnes not getting along. He just plain didn’t like the dude.

But he did care about Steve.

“I know he’s not your type,” Steve said kindly. He pursed his lips, like he was thinking hard, and then looked Sam in the eye sincerely. “I knew it was a lot to ask. I’ll try to find another way.”

He clapped Sam on the shoulder and smiled at him like Sam had actually done _ him _ a favor by refusing.

What an asshole.

“Okay… fine…” Sam hated himself right up until Steve smiled like that, like the sun was rising out of Sam’s frowning face. “Tell me what I have to do.”

And that was how Sam Wilson, decorated Air Force veteran, trained VA counselor, kick-ass Avenger, ended up dating flaky, smug, holier-than-thou Bucky Barnes.

~ ~ * ~ ~

The first order of business—so Sam was briefed by Natasha, their relationship coordinator—was being seen together in public. Barnes had recently been cleared to leave the compound, as long as he was in the company of an Avenger and stayed within 50 miles.

“Try calling him Bucky,” Natasha recommended, doing one of her annoying half-smiles. “You want to show you’re comfortable with him.”

“I’m not comfortable with him,” Sam snarked back. He tossed down the pencil he’d been using to take notes. “What’s the fastest we could do this thing?”

Natasha pretended to think about it. “You could get caught having sex in public.”

“Damn, Natasha! Forget I asked!”

“Come on,” she wheedled, leaning in confidentially. “Don’t act like you haven’t checked him out in the locker room at least. I would have,” she said with concerning certainty.

“No, ‘cause I respect my teammates, unlike some degenerates.”

Natasha shrugged. “I’ll take that. And I’m even going to let that lie slide.”

Sam definitely didn’t blush.

“Anyway, dates. Coffee dates are classic. You’re doing one a week for the next three weeks, I’ve already had the admin put them in your calendar. After that, you graduate to dinner dates. Two of those. I’m letting each of you choose a restaurant, don’t make me regret that.”

Sam snickered, because she sounded like one of his junior high teachers.

“We’ll check in at that point and see how the relationship is being received. We might need to stretch the dinner dates out for a while, add in some movies or something. Or you might end up double-dating with someone to really drive the point home if the media hasn’t picked up on it yet.”

“So I’m looking at two months of this.”

“At least. Probably more like three or four.”

Sam imagined a four months of making small talk with a greasy-haired asshole and sighed deeply.

~ ~ * ~ ~

It turned out that Sam’s imagination fell short on a few levels.

Firstly, Bucky managed to be twice as annoying on their coffee dates than he ever had before. It was like he was storing all of it up when they weren’t seeing each other, just waiting to torment Sam once he was contractually obligated to be there.

(Okay, so there wasn’t a contract. But a promise to Steve might as well have been.)

Bucky looked down on Sam’s coffee orders. He made fun of Sam’s football team. He implied that the reason the Wasp, one of the probationary Avengers, was able to kick Sam’s ass in training was because he didn’t have core strength, which was a blatant lie. On the way back to the compound, he used up all the napkins Sam kept in his car and didn’t replace them. 

It was even worse because of unforeseen item number 2, which was that Bucky was no longer a greasy-haired wreck.

Bucky showed up to their first date with his hair cut, combed, and conditioned. It left his neck exposed, but it was still long and layered enough to look rugged, like you could run your fingers through it and get a good grip.

(Not that he wanted to grab Bucky by the hair and make him pay for saying that the Ravens had a shitty defensive side. Not that he spent any time in the privacy of his own room thinking extensively about getting a real good grip on that hair and _ twisting_.)

The third thing Sam hadn’t imagined when they started the charade was that they wouldn’t even manage to keep it going for a month.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Three weeks in, the ‘relationship’ hadn’t gained much traction in the public eye. A few pictures on Instagram, nothing that had taken off.

“Be cute,” Natasha recommended at a planning session. Steve was watching her intently, like she was spouting some mystical secrets. “If you don’t get attention for a while, that’s fine. Flying under the radar will make this look more believable when it does get picked up. Try to get photographed holding hands, whispering to each other. You know, like people who are _in love."_

Sam glared at her and her grin widened, like she was really enjoying his pain.

On the third coffee date, Sam was trying hard to remember her advice and not let his disgust show. Some foam from Bucky’s cappuccino had gotten caught on his upper lip. Sam watched him lick it off, slowly, with a teasing gleam in his eye.

“You’re disgusting,” Sam muttered.

“You like it,” Bucky shot back in the same low tone.

Sam clenched his teeth and leaned over the table. “Have some class, Barnes. I’m not tryin’ to get my name attached to a slob.”

Bucky leaned in and trailed his hand over Sam’s on the table. He looked up at Sam under surprisingly long lashes. “You’d love to be attached to me, wouldn’t you? _ Babe?” _

Something hot and heavy burned down Sam’s spine and settled in his gut. He leaned in further until his lips met Bucky’s. He felt the startled little intake of breath and took advantage. He tilted his head, got one of Bucky’s lips between his, and then slowly bit down.

He kept his eyes open the whole time so he could see the way Bucky’s pupils blew up.

When he backed off, Bucky was frozen in place, mouth hanging open, his lower lip deliciously red.

Someone whispered off to the side. Someone else giggled and there was an emphatic shushing sound.

“Smile, _ babe_.” Sam tapped on Bucky’s chin.

Bucky's lips smiled, but his eyes promised retribution.

They ignored the phones aimed ‘surreptitiously’ in their direction.

Sam cradled Bucky’s hand in his own and grinned as Bucky’s nails dug into his palm. “Aww, you’re too cute. I don’t know _ what I did _ to end up with you.”

“You’d be so lucky,” Bucky muttered through his teeth, still bared by an increasingly murderous-looking fake smile. 

“I think I could do better than a bitter old has-been from the Great Depression.”

“Really?” Bucky whispered, leaning closer. “Big words from an Avenger who’s so useless in the field that they made him a trainer instead.”

It was Sam’s turn to grit his teeth. “At least I _ am _ an Avenger, not a relic locked away for his own safety and that of others.”

“Because they’re worried I could do serious damage. A single Hydra agent with a taser could take you down without breaking a sweat.”

_ “This is so hot,” _ someone whispered behind Sam. It broke the weird trance they’d fallen into and they backed off by a few inches.

“You know you’re never going to get someone half as good as me,” Bucky said smugly. He winked at the table of young women next to them and there was a screech as one of them actually _ fell off their chair. _

Sam glanced over in disdain and came face-to-face with four different cell phones aimed at them. The next cruel words he was going to say died on his lips. 

Instead, he smiled for real. A devilish smile, mean enough to make Bucky look wary, because a delicious idea had appeared to him.

Sam got out of his chair and went down on one knee next to their table.

“You’re right, baby,” he said, taking Bucky’s hand. “I’m never gonna find someone as good for me as you. I’ve been waiting so long for this.”

Sam had a ring that he always wore. It was cheap metal, a gift from one of his little nieces, but it fit comfortably and it made her happy when he showed it to her over their video chats, so he kept it. It was an easy sleight of hand to slip the ring off and hold it up in the air.

The girls at the next table gasped and Bucky gaped.

“Would you make me the happiest man alive, Bucky Barnes?”

They had attention now. Aside from the one table that was paying attention, Sam’s pose and the ring had half the cafe peering over and starting to clap.

Sam grinned wider and narrowed his eyes at Bucky. _ Your move, _ he taunted silently.

~ ~ * ~ ~

People started mobbing them with their phones snapping and recording, and Sam made some quick comments about celebrating the engagement and hurried them out to the car. He started driving away fast.

As soon as they cleared downtown Bucky started shouting. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Me?” Sam said incredulously. “What’s wrong with you? Why did you say yes?!”

“I had to! How would it look if I’da said no?”

Sam wildly cast around for an explanation of his actions that wasn’t ‘you pissed me off so I played marriage chicken.’

“You shoulda played it smart,” he retorted, “If that’s possible for you.” He poked at Bucky’s head and Bucky slapped his hand away. “Like, I got excited because of how _ in love _ with you I am, and you get to be the level-headed one because we’ve only been dating for three fuckin’ weeks!”

“How was I supposed to know you had a whole cinematic experience planned out?”

“All you had to do was not announce a goddamned spring wedding!”

“All _ you _ had to do was _ let me know _ when you got it in your head to pull off the stupidest plan I ever heard!”

The rest of the drive continued along those lines.

The only thing they could agree on by the time they pulled into the Avengers complex was that they were definitely done with the dating act.

As they walked up to the door, Steve came stumbling out, tears on his blotchy pink cheeks.

“Steve, what’s wrong?”

“Everything alright Cap?”

They glared at each other.

Steve didn’t notice because he had reached them and dragged them into a hug with an arm around each of their necks. “I’m so happy for you two,” he whispered heartfully. “I can’t believe it.”

“Believe what?” Sam asked.

“Your engagement video is at 40,000 views and counting,” Natasha said from behind Steve. She was holding up her phone and wearing an extremely not-impressed look.

“Our…”

“This is everything I wanted for the best men I know,” Steve declared through his tears. He clutched them even tighter.

Sam and Bucky looked at each other over Steve’s shoulders and realized that they were 100% _fucked._

~ ~ * ~ ~

The Avengers reacted with a typical lack of focus. The first thing to happen was that Scott decided they were having a party and put in an order for a dozen pizzas, two sheet cakes, ten gallons of ice cream, and a big box of party poppers to be delivered to the complex.

(Scott’s idea of a party had never recovered from having a small child.)

Neither Sam nor Bucky were the kind of guy to turn down pizza, and also Steve was still hanging off of them, so things progressed until music was coming out of the complex speakers and the HQ staff had taken the rest of the day off to come down and celebrate with them.

Rhodes laughed every time he saw them. 

Natasha had given up on being disapproving and instead took to reading out the best/worst of the congratulatory tweets that were pouring in. Steve got more and more sappy as the day went on, still crying tears of joy when a particularly heartfelt message came in.

Stark arrived in his Iron Man suit from the city and the core team gathered from among the crowd.

“I think everyone would agree that I should plan this shindig,” was the first thing Stark said as he strode over, the last pieces of the Iron Man suit still peeling themselves off his body. “The first Avengers wedding! This is gonna be the biggest party on the East Coast this year. I can already smell the tequila.” He clapped his hands. “Anything your gay little hearts desire, name it and I'll make it happen, within reason.”

“I call maid of honor,” Natasha announced.

“I have three sisters I’d put money on against you if you make this a fight,” Sam told her.

“We can use my farm,” Clint offered. “Lots of space, scenic vistas, goats, if you like that sort of thing.”

“I do like goats,” Bucky said thoughtfully. “Is there a church nearby?”

“Not really.”

“Then thanks, but no thanks. I’m getting married in a church.”

Sam turned to stare at Bucky. “You’re religious?”

Bucky stared back. “Where do you think I am on Sunday mornings?”

“I don’t know, I’m always at church!”

Steve held up a hand. “Bucky’s Lutheran, Sam. And Sam goes to the big Methodist church in White Plains,” he explained to Bucky.

Tony rubbed his hands together like a cartoon villain. “So where are we doing this? Dibs on decorations!”

“Please no,” Rhodes muttered, looking up to the ceiling.

“My church is closer,” Bucky said quickly.

“Natasha’s already fighting my sisters, you want to fight my mother?” Sam asked Bucky pointedly.

Bucky scowled. “That’s not fair,” he muttered.

Sam might have felt bad about one-upping the guy with no living relatives, but… he didn’t.

“Methodist it is,” he declared. “Might have to do this in Baltimore, though.”

Which was when it hit him that he was actually _ planning his wedding to Bucky Barnes, for Chrissake. _

Uh… not that he was taking the Lord’s name in vain, or anything.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Natasha cornered Sam while he was getting some lemon sparkling water.

“You should come clean sooner rather than later,” she said bluntly. “For Bucky’s public image and your own. Don’t ruin all the work you’ve done with this fake dating plan. It’s a joke that went too far, you can still play it off if you do it early. Wait more than a day and you’ll come out looking worse.”

“Why are you talking to me, huh?” Sam asked her. “This whole thing was to make Bucky look good. Am I supposed to be the bad guy now, too?”

“You are the one who proposed,” she said snidely. “Another point for doing it soon? If you wait too long, it’ll break Steve’s heart.”

“I’m not calling it off.” Sam poured his drink and put the bottle down with a firm thud. “_He _ can call it off.”

Natasha shrugged and shook her head, like she’d done her best. “Okay. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

She turned away, but stopped to say pointedly over her shoulder-

“When are you calling your mother?”

She walked off while Sam was frozen in place.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Sam didn’t have to call his mother, because she and his youngest sister FaceTimed him ten minutes later. And once his mother started making plans… there was no way to call it off.

Sam was marrying the most irritating person he’d ever laid eyes on, and he had no one to blame but himself.

Well, and Bucky. He could definitely blame Bucky.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Somehow, their engagement meant that Bucky’s clearance was increased so that he could come to the Avengers levels and work on wedding planning. Steve quickly took advantage and got Bucky moved into the room next door to him, which meant that he was right across the hall from Sam, which meant that Sam could _ never not see Bucky. _

They brought in a professional wedding planner. Natasha, Bucky, and Sam comprised the planning committee for the first few weeks, because Steve and Wanda (who insisted on helping out) were on a mission. Steve’s absence meant that Sam and Bucky sniped at each other all through the first few sessions. The poor wedding planner was very stressed out and it took all of Natasha’s ruthless efforts to keep the party moving forward.

By the fourth session, Sam was ready to tear Bucky’s hair out if the asshole said _ one _ more thing about literally anything. They were facing off (and Natasha was fingering one of her knives) when Steve came into the conference room.

“Hey guys… is everything alright?”

Sam was too pissed off to cover up. He was on the verge of turning to Steve and spilling everything when Natasha intervened.

“It’s a, what d’you call it, a couple’s spat,” she said casually. She glared at Sam and Bucky until they subsided. “Why don’t you two lovebirds go into the hall and have a _ private conversation _ to sort this out?”

Avoiding Steve’s confused look, they went into the hallway. Natasha’s sharp-toothed smile followed them.

As soon as the door closed behind them they erupted into angry whispers.

“You need to get your act together, I can’t carry this thing all by my—”

“_I_need to get my act together? You’re acting like a spoiled brat who can’t—”

“I can’t make one goddamned suggestion before you sigh like a judgmental old biddie—”

“Maybe if all your ‘suggestions’ weren’t _ stupid_—”

“You are such a piece of—”

“God _ damn _ I can’t stand you—”

Sam didn’t even know how they ended up kissing. One second they were about to come to blows and the next his back was against the wall and his fingers were curled up in Bucky’s stupid over-priced polo shirt that accentuated his chest, digging his nails in and trying to shove his tongue into Bucky’s mouth.

Bucky shoved him harder against the wall as they fought for dominance, all teeth and nails and shoving each other’s hands away so that they could grab tighter to better holds. Bucky’s metal hand dug into Sam’s hip and forced them together, making Sam hiss into Bucky’s mouth.

It must have sounded like winning to Bucky, because he grinned. Infuriated even as his body sang, Sam bit down on Bucky’s lip, making those metal fingers flex even harder.

And then the door to the conference room opened.

“Oh! I'm sorry, I guess you needed another minute.”

Steve’s pink face ducked away and the door closed again.

Bucky took a big step backward in a hurry. Sam felt concave all of a sudden, with that big warm presence scooped away from his front, leaving him cold and empty.

They stared at each other for a long, silent minute before straightening up and going back inside.

~ ~ * ~ ~

That night Sam laid in bed, failing to fall asleep. He stared up at the dim yellow stripes cast over the ceiling by the every-present security lights along the compound perimeter. A knock at the door pulled him out of his circling thoughts.

When he opened the door, Bucky was there, in sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, barefoot. He stared right at Sam, his face expressionless but his eyes burning.

They stepped forward at the same time.

The kiss was gentler this time, but no less intense. Bucky’s hand cupped the base of Sam’s head and supported it, guiding him to the side as they tasted each other. Sam’s hands found Bucky’s waist, then slipped under his shirt to find soft skin over hard muscles. He pulled, walking them backwards into his room.

Bucky closed the door behind them, then broke the kiss. He reached behind his head and pulled his shirt off by the collar.

In the dim light, Bucky’s skin glimmered with sweat. He looked like he’d been oiled up, each firm muscle highlighted. He watched Sam, his eyes hungry, daring.

Sam took him up on it. He reached out to trail his fingers down Bucky’s chest, over dusky nipples, down his taut midsection to the band of his sweatpants. He used that to pull Bucky the last step towards him, and then they were kissing again, hard and fast.

Bucky’s hands made it under Sam’s shirt almost immediately and pulled his shirt over his head, barely breaking their kiss. They moved toward the bed too quickly to be called a stumble; more like a coordinated attack. Sam fell backwards and Bucky landed between his legs, pressing closer still, rubbing their bodies together at every point.

Sam couldn’t get enough of Bucky’s mouth. The heat, the slickness of their movements together. He couldn’t tell if the guy was a good kisser or if it was just _ them_, fitting so well together, matched perfectly. Either way, his fingers tangled in Bucky’s hair, keeping their heads from separating by even an inch.

Bucky’s fingers made quick work of the drawstring to Sam’s sleep shorts, tapping Sam’s waist to tell him to move up. Sam did so, letting Bucky pull his shorts and briefs down his legs, and not-so-coincidentally rubbing his growing erection against Bucky’s abs.

He hissed and Bucky grinned, just smugly enough that Sam dragged him back in for a harsher kiss, one that had them wrestling for control. Sam managed to kick his shorts off onto the floor somewhere and flipped them sideways on the bed. Bucky found his ass in one strong hand, and they both were distracted from the silent squabble as they ground against each other.

Sam pushed at Bucky’s pants. “Get these off,” he muttered into Bucky’s mouth.

“Yeah,” Bucky breathed, shoving them down quickly.

Sam took in the fine sight of Bucky wriggling his way into complete nakedness on Sam’s bed. He nudged his knee in between Bucky’s and grabbed his hip to pull them together.

Sweet, sweet Jesus. Bucky groaned into Sam’s mouth as they ground against each other. His hand slipped down to Sam’s ass again and started rocking him in a rhythm that Sam fell into quickly.

Bucky felt fucking amazing. Sam had hooked up with a woman in Wakanda, but that was months ago, and he hadn’t been with a guy since before he’d met Steve. Superheroing didn’t leave a lot of time for meeting people. As every inch of him that was touching Bucky reveled in the joy of skin-on-skin, he called himself five kinds of crazy for going without this for so long.

Bucky seemed to have similar thoughts. He pulled Sam on top of him and moved them both away from the edge of the bed in a move that only super-soldier strength would allow. The new position had all of Sam’s weight on him, but he didn’t seem to care; his hands slid up to span Sam’s back and press them even closer together.

“Jesus, that’s good,” Sam moaned as the new angle gave him leverage to thrust right against Bucky’s dick. He leaned into it and ground them together good, reaching down to make everything stay aligned.

Bucky’s eyes rolled, but he also chuckled breathily. “Language! What would— your mom say?” he choked out.

“Don’t talk about my— ow!”

Sam had to kneel back so he could rub his knuckles, which smarted from punching Bucky’s metal shoulder.

Bucky giggled at him, high-pitched and stupid, cupping his dick with his flesh hand so it didn’t bob as he shook with laughter.

“You look like an idiot,” Sam told him, which only made Bucky laugh harder.

He did look fucking stupid, Sam thought to himself, but he was grinning. He’d never seen Bucky laugh like this, carefree and hard enough that Sam could see the muscles in his stomach twitching.

It was a good look on him.

Of course, his abs were a good look by themselves. Sam wanted to bite them. So he did.

Bucky’s laughter turned into moans as Sam licked down his midsection and teased around his dick. Bucky tried to get his hands on Sam’s head, so Sam grabbed his wrists and pressed them down to the mattress. He looked up with a single eyebrow raised, challenging. Bucky squirmed, but looked away and rasped, “Please.”

Sam took that as a win.

~ ~ * ~ ~

Planning a wedding was surprisingly easy, as long as you delegated everything properly. Sam took the easy way out with all of his assigned tasks, letting his friends and teammates claim things they cared about to be in charge of. It was a good way to let them all feel involved, and most of the people he knew had pretty good taste. If they ended up with French food at the rehearsal and Cajun at the reception, at least it all tasted good!

Bucky got right up in the decision-making process. He chose the color scheme, the music, the decorations. Sam caught him once bickering with Natasha about stationary and backed out of the room.

The only thing Sam cared about was the honeymoon.

“I’ve spent too long in deserts,” he insisted. “Nowhere hot.”

Bucky closed the tab advertising a Mediterranean cruise. “I’ve spent too long in cryofreeze,” he countered. “Nowhere cold.”

Taking into account countries that wouldn’t protest the Winter Soldier celebrating his marriage in within their borders, they settled on New Zealand.

“I’m gonna walk straight into Mordor.”

“Where?”

Sam grabbed Bucky’s hands to keep him from Googling it. “Uh, just a tourist attraction. It’s not important.”

Bucky narrowed his eyes, but Sam kissed him, and Bucky forgot all about it.

(Wilson: 18, Barnes: 14)

~ ~ * ~ ~

They got married in Baltimore, at Sam’s mother’s church. The pews were full of their friends and Sam's family, the street outside full of cheering fans.

Maybe they weren’t like most couples. Maybe they’d only started this because both of them were too stubborn to back down from a fight. And maybe the fiery, occasionally-violent relationship they’d started would burn them both before it fizzled out.

But Sam wrote his own vows. He didn’t promise til death. He promised he would give their relationship his all. That was a vow he knew he could keep. When he said ‘I do,’ he meant it, and he could tell that Bucky meant it, too.

At the very least, they wouldn’t be bored. 

And just maybe, he would get to hate Bucky for the rest of their lives. 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] Secret Re(Hate)tionship](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20394682) by [sophinisba](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophinisba/pseuds/sophinisba)


End file.
